Protect yourself and others this flu season

January 30, 2020

Did you know that adopting a few healthy habits such as performing frequent hand hygiene can help you prevent the flu?

These five simple tips from our infection prevention and control team will help you and your loved ones stay happy, healthy and flu-free this season:

Get the flu shot
The flu shot is your best defence against getting the flu and is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.

Practice frequent hand hygiene
Most infections are spread by hands. Cleaning hands frequently with soap and water or with alcohol-based sanitizer is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and to prevent the spread of infections to others.

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or tissue to avoid transmitting germs. Make sure to dispose of used tissues into waste containers and clean your hands after.

Avoid touching your face
When you scratch your nose or rub your eyes and mouth, you hand-deliver the germs you’ve picked up from touching common surfaces and increase your risk of infection.

Stay home if you're sick
It's easy to spread cold and flu germs. If you're sick, the best way to avoid infecting other people is to stay home from school, work, and other places where you might infect people. Help keep our patients safe by re-scheduling your visit to the hospital for a time when you're healthy.

For more information about the flu, visit Health Canada's website.